“Pulling a geographic? Come to Jackson Hole! Great public transportation, decent jobs, and a beautiful environment to be miserable in.” It can be a scary thing to go back to the place you hit your “bottom.” It can also be extremely rewarding with unexpected miracles and blessings. I hit my bottom in Jackson Hole, Wyoming… Continue reading The Blessings of Going Back
Tag: Features
"I: The Series" Exposes the Underside of Trauma and Healing
We Q&A with filmmaker Mary Beth Eversole on trauma, the inspirations for her new series, and the challenges of making an indie film. Mary Beth Eversole is the creator and executive producer of I: The Series, in pre-production. The short film series explores the damage of trauma—from ordinary events to major catastrophes—and its impact on… Continue reading "I: The Series" Exposes the Underside of Trauma and Healing
Shame, Alcoholism, Stigma, and Suicide
In addiction treatment circles, conventional wisdom suggests we have to let people hit rock bottom before we can help them. But what happens if rock bottom is dying from suicide? Historical records as far back as ancient Athens have the underpinnings of the stigmatization of suicide. In 360 BCE, Plato wrote that those who died… Continue reading Shame, Alcoholism, Stigma, and Suicide
True North and the Geographical Cure
What it was like then: misery that had me researching the methods and means of suicide in the middle of the night on my cell phone, back turned to my husband, who was fast asleep, and to my children, asleep between us. The geographical cure: false hope that a change in circumstance might transform us.… Continue reading True North and the Geographical Cure
An End to the Parent-Child Role Reversal: Taking Care of Me
When my dad drank, he folded in on himself and quietly disappeared. When this happened, I’d wait patiently for his return while dreaming up myriad ways to make his life better. There was a little more than a week to go before my wedding day. Left on my to-do list was an array of tasks:… Continue reading An End to the Parent-Child Role Reversal: Taking Care of Me
I'm Sorry Daddy, I Won't Be at Your Funeral
I used to think my relationship with my father was unique, different: complicated on its best day and toxic, disruptive, and unbearable on its worst. I know now it’s not unique. I have always known—well maybe not always, but for a very long time—that I would most likely not be attending my father’s funeral. I… Continue reading I'm Sorry Daddy, I Won't Be at Your Funeral
6 Tools That Empowered Me to Quit My Lifelong Eating Disorder
There are no simple answers or all-encompassing solutions for the complex state of being that is abstinence from compulsive overeating. I wouldn’t wish an eating disorder on anyone else, not even on those who bullied me about my weight as a child and adult. Growing up both depriving myself of food regularly and being fat… Continue reading 6 Tools That Empowered Me to Quit My Lifelong Eating Disorder
So You Want to Write About Addicts
At its best, addict lit satiates our quintessential human yearning for stories that may lead to salvation. We want warm fuzzies. We want sweet, sweet, redemption. We started each morning of residential treatment with burned muffins, a house meeting, and introductions. “My name is Tom and I’m a junkie here on vacation. My goal today… Continue reading So You Want to Write About Addicts
Using Marijuana to Treat Opioid Addiction
When I’m on marijuana, the thought of injecting toxic drugs into my body seems totally unhealthy and unappealing. If you believe that medication-assisted treatment (MAT) for opioid use disorder (OUD) is wrong because it’s “just substituting one drug for another,” then you’re really not going to like this article. It’s not about one of the… Continue reading Using Marijuana to Treat Opioid Addiction
When You're Too Depressed to "Reach Out"
How is it that we’ve all been conditioned to place the burden of action on the one with the mental condition that literally robs us of the ability to act? Kate Spade. And now Anthony Bourdain. I’m afraid for the next headline. I’m sad for those we lose daily who will never be mourned by… Continue reading When You're Too Depressed to "Reach Out"